Page 859 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 2 May 2007
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MR MULCAHY (Molonglo) (4.31): I support my colleague’s motion. I believe strongly that it is important to ensure that governments spend public money prudently and responsibly. I could not agree more with the ALP’s own words from 2001: “governments must be open, responsible and accountable”. I believe that is a standard the people of Canberra have a right to expect from the governments that they elect. It is unfortunate, however, that the present government seems to have lost track of these requirements and, indeed, is now guilty of being both unaccountable and deliberately secretive. In the last couple of days we have had many examples that support that particular contention.
Earlier today I moved an amendment to the Financial Management Act that seeks to produce more accountability and openness in one section of government—capital works progress reports—as a legislative requirement. As Mr Stefaniak said, there are other areas that trouble us too, such as the convenient evaporation of ministerial travel reports. I sought advice from the Clerk, went back and saw that it was something that Ms Carnell brought in when Mr Smyth and Mr Stefaniak were in government with her. They were not uncomfortable about putting this information out there. Mr Speaker, I see that here in the Assembly you have come up with more detailed information on non-executive travel. You have said that you want to have more comprehensive reports. You circulated that. You had one yesterday. But ministerial travel—which is often substantially greater, and probably of more public interest—is suddenly not evident.
These are all measures that trouble me and my colleagues here on the opposition benches. I believe that the people of Canberra, as they become aware of this approach, will share our concern.
The Liberal party was compelled to move legislation today because the current Treasurer and Chief Minister has failed to table reports since 2005. Contrary to claims that were made yesterday, Mr Smyth has pursued this issue as far back as May 2006. The matter has been on our agenda for some time.
It is also extremely concerning—and it is something of an indictment of so-called open government in the ACT—that we have recently seen either an unwillingness or an inability by territory government departments to account for expenditure, particularly expenditure related to corporate credit cards and money spent on hospitality and entertainment. To say that these are trivial matters, to dismiss them and to say that they are inappropriate to be pursued is quite extraordinary. Accounts of these matters were published in the media in this city in the middle of February this year.
This is not something that the opposition cooked up. This is the result of months and months of investigative journalism by the newspaper in Canberra. There was more than adequate time for departments to respond. Apparently there were trite answers from all agencies other than the health department. Not unreasonably, we have come to this place some three months later and said, “Well, what are the answers and what are the problems?”
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